PALMERSTON NORTH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 28 March 1907, Page 24

PALMERSTON NORTH

(From our own correspondent.) The first annual gathering promoted by the St. Patrick's Diay sports and picnic association, which was held on the fcShow Grounds, was attended by about a thousand persons. Taken on the whole, the sports passed' off successfully. Dr. O'Bi'ien's (handsome cup, allocated .as a points prize for the three distances in~ the St. Patrick's Handicap, was won by .A. B. Bell, with nine points. He was firsts in the 100 yards, third in the 220 yards, and second in the 440 yards. ' The judging in the various events was capably carried out by Dr. O'Brien, Major Durik, and Messrs, H. McLean, D. Pringle, and H. Gillies. Mr. 1. J. Fake was quite au fait as starter. The handicapping of Mr. F. Bell gavie general satisfaction, and a number of the finishes were very close. The members of the committee, headed by Messrs. W. Ellis and C. McGrath, the secretary and assistant secretary respectively, worked well together to keep things going smoothly. In the evening a concert was held in the Zealandia Hall, wnich was crowded. An attractive programme had been prepared, and encores were the order of the evening. Miss Cameron sang in . excellent style 'Oh steer my batfqaie ' and ' Come back to Erin,' a 'double encore being the result. Miss Essex made her first appearance before the public, a-id was most successful with her number, ' Avourneen.' She was also accorded the honor of a recall. Miss O'Coonor was the accompanist during the evening, and she contributed a pianoforte solo,- " Savourneen Deelish," and she also had to submit to the inevitable encore. Remaining items were contributed 'by the children as follows :— Pianoforte duet ' Come back 'to Erin,' Misses Fail-brother and Ryan ; chorus (girls), 'Meeting of the waters'; recitation. ' Legend of the lake,' Miss A. Minogue ; chorus (boys) • Let Erin remember ' ; chorus (girls), ' Killarney ' recitation, ' Bunch of shamrocks,' Miss W. Ryan chorus (boys), ' The minstrel boy ' ; chorus, ' Oh. Where's the slave ' ; chorus (girls), ' Oh, the shamrock ' ; chorus, * God save Ireland.' The items by the children were exceptionally enjoyable and quite in accordance with that high order of merit which the Sisters of the convent have led one to naturally ""' expect at the public perfoimances of their pupils. At an interval in the concert' in the Zealandia Hail Mr. I. J. Fake, in _the unavoidable absence of the president of the St. Patrick's sports association (Dr. O'Brien), presented to the fortunate winners the handsome cups won during the day. The first, presented by Dr. O'Brien, was won by Mr. A. E. Bell, who scored most points in the St. Patrick's Handicap; the second givm . by Mr. W: Devine, Empire Hotel) was awarded' Mr. L. McKelvie, winner of the hunters' competition. Each cup is a handsome trophy, and the ,• successful competitors were loudly applauded. Mr. D. Burke was the only competitor who * guessed the right weight of the sheep at the guessing competition .in connection with the St. Patrick's Day sports. "' ,